Study: Socializing Twice As Popular Than Business or Shopping Online

Ruder Finn today released it’s Intent Index, a study that examined online behavior and user intent. Among the key findings:

More than twice as many people go online to socialize (81%) than to do business (39%) or shop (31%).

72% of people go online just to become part of a community.

Women (48%) are much more likely than men (39%) to go online to advocate for an issue or position.

More men (42%) than women (36%) go online to do business.

“Intent is the new demographic,” said Ruder Finn co-CEO Kathy Bloomgarden in a statement. “Delving deeper into the underlying motivations of online behavior is critical to developing proactive strategies. Just being online is not enough to leverage digital channels to drive business imperatives. Audiences must be targeted based upon their intent.” The agency has posted complete findings on its website.